If you would like to support the channel, please consider using the *'Super Thanks'* button below the video. Any donation made is greatly appreciated and will be reinvested into the channel. I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to all those who have already donated. 🍀
Had this last week for testing and returned it. I already had an SMSL SU-1 with AKM4493S chip and didn’t need another that had both akm and ess chips. I purchased the SMSL PS200 instead which has the very latest ESS9039Q2M chip. There’s a quality difference from what I heard between the older ESS chip from the Douk unit vs the newer one in the PS200. The Douk/ESS was a little sibilant and hissy. Surprisingly the difference between the SU-1/AKM chip and the PS200/ESS is almost undetectable. Presumably its because both units are from SMSL so there’s very little variation in their integration and manufacturing process.
Thanks for sharing your experience with those DACs. I’m considering the SU-1 just to compare to my components’ internal DACs. I read great reviews on it. 👍🏼🎶
@@Norman-bone13 Sure thing. I like the more rugged metal casing of the SU-1 but soundwise leaning toward the PS200. My Polk ES20 bookshelfs are a touch warm and rolled off so the ESS chip seems to add a little wanted shimmer on some songs.
Only YT reviewers make unnecessary rave about "which DAC chip sound like vs other". Dac chip itself is maybe 5% or less responsible for "sound" you get from device. Much greater influence has proper power supply, separate for digital and for analog, pcb layout and proper grounding, jitter, clock stability, analog buffer. Old TDA1541properly applied with good power supply and right components in circuit is far above all ess and akm dacs. And this is one of first ever dac chip build!
Thanks for the video. DACs mmmm. So many to choose, so much sameness. Saying that though I like how the technology is being pushed to get more for less., But there is a limit. 🙂
Just a comment in support of this channel Enjoy the content and video production As far as DACs go, there is not a huge difference in the Delta Sigma DAC chips for me I did see a review of this indicating you could only combine the chips with the remote That does not make sense It is a nice looking DAC If I were looking for a Delta Sigma Chip DAC, I would consider this but I prefer the AK 4499 best of this type of DAC implementation Just got a Holo Cyan 2 which is a simple NOS R2R which I prefer to all DS Chip DACs Recommended and really nice compared to the DS chip DACs Next will be a multibit And then I am done with DACs unless some new DA implementation comes along
YES! That was "Bob" from Sesame Street! I remember. 😆😱 I'm sooo wanting that dac! I totally have a spot for it! (For when I can buy it, which is not right now.) 🥺 In your first test, I couldn't tell any difference between any of the chips either. But I thought the Douk sounded better in your second. 😉 Great video bud.👍🏻
Sounded all the same listening through my laptop speakers I have the ESS Sabre DAC with different Filters inside a Stereo Amp and sounds Pretty Good with my music collection
No difference at all, as far as I can tell. But I guess, if they added a third dac-chip by the mighty Texas Instruments, now that would be a game changer. That would probably make Elvis sound like the Beatles, and the Beatles sound like Black Sabbath...
I hear a little difference between A and B but not much admittedly between B and C with the first listen…the Topping has a little more authority, the instruments seem to hit with a touch more confidence…at least to my ears on the first watch. I think the differences may become more obvious over a couple of months though with the Douk. Nice price on the Douk for sure!
If you would like to support the channel, please consider using the *'Super Thanks'* button below the video. Any donation made is greatly appreciated and will be reinvested into the channel. I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to all those who have already donated. 🍀
⁵/////
I like this dac. I believe that the ESS mode sounds much closer to the topping. You used the conbo mode.
Had this last week for testing and returned it. I already had an SMSL SU-1 with AKM4493S chip and didn’t need another that had both akm and ess chips. I purchased the SMSL PS200 instead which has the very latest ESS9039Q2M chip.
There’s a quality difference from what I heard between the older ESS chip from the Douk unit vs the newer one in the PS200. The Douk/ESS was a little sibilant and hissy.
Surprisingly the difference between the SU-1/AKM chip and the PS200/ESS is almost undetectable. Presumably its because both units are from SMSL so there’s very little variation in their integration and manufacturing process.
Thanks for sharing your experience with those DACs. I’m considering the SU-1 just to compare to my components’ internal DACs. I read great reviews on it. 👍🏼🎶
@@Norman-bone13 Sure thing. I like the more rugged metal casing of the SU-1 but soundwise leaning toward the PS200. My Polk ES20 bookshelfs are a touch warm and rolled off so the ESS chip seems to add a little wanted shimmer on some songs.
Only YT reviewers make unnecessary rave about "which DAC chip sound like vs other". Dac chip itself is maybe 5% or less responsible for "sound" you get from device. Much greater influence has proper power supply, separate for digital and for analog, pcb layout and proper grounding, jitter, clock stability, analog buffer. Old TDA1541properly applied with good power supply and right components in circuit is far above all ess and akm dacs. And this is one of first ever dac chip build!
Thanks for the video. DACs mmmm. So many to choose, so much sameness. Saying that though I like how the technology is being pushed to get more for less., But there is a limit. 🙂
Agree. Topping v slightly better. Do you find optical cables don’t fit very well?
The cable I have seems to fit ok?
Through my iPad test one I preferred B and in the second test I preferred the Topping.
Just a comment in support of this channel
Enjoy the content and video production
As far as DACs go, there is not a huge difference in the Delta Sigma DAC chips for me
I did see a review of this indicating you could only combine the chips with the remote
That does not make sense
It is a nice looking DAC
If I were looking for a Delta Sigma Chip DAC, I would consider this but I prefer the AK 4499 best of this type of DAC implementation
Just got a Holo Cyan 2 which is a simple NOS R2R which I prefer to all DS Chip DACs
Recommended and really nice compared to the DS chip DACs
Next will be a multibit
And then I am done with DACs unless some new DA implementation comes along
YES! That was "Bob" from Sesame Street! I remember. 😆😱
I'm sooo wanting that dac! I totally have a spot for it! (For when I can buy it, which is not right now.) 🥺
In your first test, I couldn't tell any difference between any of the chips either. But I thought the Douk sounded better in your second. 😉 Great video bud.👍🏻
Wont need to worry about royalties now😮
Looks nice with the see through top and the screens. Hear no difference.
RED DWARF
You know it! 😄
I am old enough to remember that from Sesame Street but cannot remember the guy's name.
I think it was Bob?
Put 26 Dac chips in there and give me a button push and ill want 30, then 40, then 80.
Where does it end?
Sounded all the same listening through my laptop speakers
I have the ESS Sabre DAC with different Filters inside a Stereo Amp and sounds Pretty Good with my music collection
No difference at all, as far as I can tell. But I guess, if they added a third dac-chip by the mighty Texas Instruments, now that would be a game changer. That would probably make Elvis sound like the Beatles, and the Beatles sound like Black Sabbath...
I hear a little difference between A and B but not much admittedly between B and C with the first listen…the Topping has a little more authority, the instruments seem to hit with a touch more confidence…at least to my ears on the first watch. I think the differences may become more obvious over a couple of months though with the Douk. Nice price on the Douk for sure!
Honestly I prefer a good stake rather than another DAC.
Vampire?
Hardly any differences between dacs, it's more often than not splitting hairs. So small a difference it's negligible.
No difference on Sennheiser HD600, ADAM S2V and ELAC Vela FS 408.2
All sounded the same to me.
I am with you.
Looks good and is cheap.
There is no difference in sound